Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-02-27
STORY OF WILLIE ALBRIGHT.

Tho Kidnapped English Boy Who was
Rescued from u by his Pa
rents, in the State Of Iowa
The case OF Willie Albright, an Eng.
iish lad. wa full OF strange adventures.
He lived at Sheffield with his parents
until five years Of age. His father was
employed in a great factory there. and
his mother was a dressmaker for the
neighborhood. They lived Ia O cottage
In the suburbs Of the town, and at the
age Of four The boy Was permitted TO
run about the neighborhood a good deal.
AT Ave, when he was kidnapped, he
was sent to the stores to make purcha-
ses, u knew all the streets clear to
the factory In which his father worked.
One day In 1861, about two O'Clock In
the afternoon, he was sent to IA stJre
three blocks away after some buttons.
Before he reached 1t a strange man ac-
costei him an asked his name. He
then gave Willie some sSeetmeats and
asked him to 20 and look at q Punch
and Judy show in the town, promising
10 return with him Ia q half hour.
The boy eagerly Get OF with him, and
was taken TO the railroad depot and
placed on a train in charge OF a middle
8kth WOlnaht wiz 6ost ulih iiti'
M ats aud was very kindly spoken. she
said the snoA had moved ANY, and they
aIler IL, and the novelty OF The child =
posi- ion preyenteI him feeling any anA-
leIy.
When the detectives came TO take the
case up. as they did two days after the
boy g GisapI an rance, they got no clu.
whatever. Although hr had walked a
mil ar two land in hard with I - an
ductOr, Hiong crowded stree 5, nobody
renrrmr'rTi seeing the pair.
They had gone openly to the railroad
stat un. but no one there had noticpd
them. The "a ri On the train dimly re-
membered II ona and child in a con-
parlmenl, but could give no desrril :
ton.
A the Allbrights We're poor and lowly
no great stir was created, ami no great
effort was made by the detectives TO re-
store the boy 10 his parents.
TIE boy was taken from Sheffield to
Liverpool, being so well T. eated on the
way that he had no thought OF his
homr.
Al Liverpool he was told that his
name was John Manton, aud that the
Olia was MS bioNllOl Nv us
puted the point he wa soundly whipped.
His hair was cut close, his dress entirely
changed, and a liquid was rubbed o. his
skin, which turned It dark. Except
when he asked % 10 hoin., or d.nieI
that his name was John Manton, he was
kindly treated, and after lie had been
beat.n sewn or eight times he accepted
the new name and ceased 10 refer 10 his
parents.
Young as he was this was a stroke OF
policy on his part. He realized that he
mad been stolen from home, aud he kept
repeating TO himself that his true name
was Willie Albright, and thai he lived
a. Sheffield.
After a couple OF weeks lessons in
tumbling and light-rope walking were
given 10 the boy. He was lever per-
mitted TO 20 Out alo ne or 10 converse
with strangers, and IL soon came
natural for him ~ call the womaa
mother,
In Tie course Of q couple Of months
the past seemed q dream TO him and he
would have forgotten ali about IL had he
not kept repeating TO himself:
am o Johnny Manton. but Willie
Albright. and they stole me away from
Sheffield
He was in Liverpool six weeks
before he knew the name OF the city.
When hs had been taught how to
dance, ring, tumble. and walk a tight
rope-a matter OF three months time
he was taken around the country with o
small show, which the woman owned In
part. The novelty Of travel was 30
agreeable that he almost forgot his
situation, and was Tor two or three years
quite content.
There was no one TO teach him how 20
read or write. but he was quick.witted,
and could reason beyond his wears. He
had hopes that The show would some
day reach Sheffield, and he would then
slip out and run home. but the people
OF course carefully avoided the place.
Once. when they were showing at
Doncaster, Q few miles away. Willie
observed Q man whose face had q famll.
lar look, gazing at him In m earnest
manner. and presently heard HIN say 10
o friend:
" The lsddle keeps me thinking Of the
child who was stolen away from neigh
Dor Albright, but Of course 1t can't be
the one"
The boy was about 70 call out that
his name was Willie Albright when the
woman, who always kept an eagle eye
on him. came closer and intimIdated
him. The show then hurriedly packed
up and left the place.
The boy now realized more fully than
ever that his right name was Albright,
and hat he had been stolen from home,
but he also felt his hslplessness.